Stop-motion for circular-knitting machines.



H. E. HOUSEMAN.

STOP MOTION FOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 17, 1915.

1,1 5 1 ;1 82. Patented Aug. 24, 1915.

2 SHEETSSHEET I.

l/VVEA/TOR Ham/d E floweman W/TIVEJS:

COLUMBIA PLANDCIRAPH 60.. WASHINGTON, D. c.

JTTOR/VEK' H. E. HOUSEMAN.

STOP MOTION FOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED APR.17,1915.

1,1 5 1,1 82. Patented Aug. 24, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

flake/d5. f/auseman' I 5y fiW/l/ COLUMBIA PLI-NDGRAPH co., WASHINGTON. D. c.

HAROLD E. HOUSEMAN, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO STANDARD MACHINE COMPANY, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

STOP-MOTION FOR' CIRCULAR-KNITTING MACHINES.

Application filed April 17, 1915.

To all II/710171 it may concern Be it known that I, HAROLD E. HoUsnMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, county of Philadelphia, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Stop-Motions for Circular-Knitting Machines, of which the following is a full, clear. and eXact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

The object of my invention is to provide means to automatically stop the rotating knitting head of a circular knitting machine in the event of any obstruction to its rotation. Mechanism effecting this result is set forth in a patent issued to Harry A. Houseman, November 18,1913,No. 1,078,678. In this machine, a driven shaft actuates the knitting head by means of normally operative yielding driving connections which, in the event of resistance to motion of the knitting head, are rendered inoperative to drive while at the same time actuating certain normally inoperative means to cause the latter to actuate mechanism to stop the driving shaft. This contrivance is operative but it has been found that occasionally it will operate by displacement of the driving connections due to the inevitable jar produced in the shift from rotation to reciprocation and vice versa.

The object of my invention is to prevent this or any other stop contrivance from operating to stop the machine at these points in the normal operation of the machine. thereby insuring the automatic stoppage of the machine only upon the arising of abnormal conditions producing resistance to movement of the knitting head.

In the drawings, which show a preferred embodiment of my inventionFigure 1 is a front elevation of a circular knitting machine, with my automatic stop guard ap plied thereto. Fig. 2 is a sectional plan View on line 22 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view looking in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 2. Fig. 4L is a section on the line +t.l of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is an inverted plan view of the knitting head drive drawn to an enlarged scale; and Fig. 6 is a partial plan view of the stop motion.

a is the frame of the machine, and F) the knitting head which may be of either the ro- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 24, 1915.

Serial No. 21,890.

tating cam ring or the rotating needle cylinder design.

The cam ring or the needle cylinder, as the case may be, carries a gear 0 which is driven by the outer teeth of a gear or ring d in the manner shown and described in the above-named patent, as follows: The clutch shaft 6 has secured to it a spider f revoluble within the gear (Z and driving the same by means of a beveled spring-pressed latch g which normally takes into a similarly beveled notch in gear (Z. By this means,should any obstruction to the operation of the moving parts of the knitting head occur, latch 9 will be forced out of its beveled notch, and spider f on clutch shaft will be able to turn freely without damage to any of the moving parts. Moreover, the inner end of latch g .is also beveled and bearsagainst the beveled upper end of a rod h extending axially through clutch shaft 6. The lower end of rod it rests upon one end of a lever 2', the opposite end of which underlies a latch lever j, which, by being raised, frees a centrally pivoted lever 7?, which is thereupon moved by its spring to turn a bell crank lever m out of the path of latch n of the stop motion. Spring 0 then acts to shift the driving belt from fast pulley 77 to loose pulley (j, shutting off power from the machine. Thus the driving connection with the knitting head is broken and the machine stopped when interruption to rotation in the knitting head occurs for any reason.

As will now be explained, at certain points in the cycle of operations of knitting a stocking, the mechanism is jarred to such an extent that occasionally latch g is sprung out of its beveled notch and the machine is stopped. The danger of such an operation arises particularly at the time of change from circular to oscillating motion and vice versa, i. e. at the time of passing to knitting the heel or toe of the stocking and off again. In order to explain how this danger is obviated by my invention, it is necessary to briefly explain the mechanism for controlling and effecting the shifts from rotation to oscillation aand back again. Driving pulley 72, through bevel gears 1', transmits a constant rotary motion to gear 8, which, through a connecting rod t and an arm 2." oscillates a hub carrying a quadrant u and a s ction of a bevel pinion c. On the clutch shaft 0 are slidably mounted the two pinions 21 and 22, which are adapted to be moved up and down in unison by mechanism, not herein shown, operated from a double cam 24, and fully set forth in a patent issued to Harry A. Houseman November 18, 1913, No. 1,078,677. A clutch 2?) is fixed on the shaft 20 between said pinions. Quadrant uconstantly oscillates pinion 22 and gear 8 constantly rotates pinion 21. When pinion 21 and 22 are moved down, thus engaging rotary pinion 21 with clutch 23 and disengaging the oscillatory pinion 22, shaft 6 and gear (Z are continuously rotated, thus rotating knitting head Z). WVhen pinions 21 and 22 are raised, thus disengaging rotary pinion 21 from clutch 23 and engaging oscillatory pinion 22, shaft 6 and gear (Z are constantly oscillated, thus oscillating knitting head 7).

The double cam 2-1, 25, is on the same shaft with a ratchet wheel to. Through gears .12 and 1 the shaft of ratchet wheel to is turned from a cam-shaft 2, which is actuated at intervals by a pattern chain, as fully set forth in the last named patent. This patent also explains how the section of a bevel pinion '0' actuates a pawl 26 to turn the ratchet wheel to after it is preliminarily turned by the cam shaft 2.

It will be understood that the cam shaft 2, which is turned partly by the pattern chain to turn the ratchet wheel w, and partly by the ratchet wheel to when it is turned by the pawl 26, occupies a certain definite position at the time of shift from'rotation to oscillation and vice versa. Secured to the shaft .2 is a cam 10 havinghigh points corresponding to these shifts. A bell-crank lever, pivoted to the machine frame, has an upper arm 11 bearing upon caln l0 and a lower arm 12, extending beneath the frame to a point just underneath the end of lever i which supports rod h. Cam 10 is secured to shaft 2 with its high points so timed in relation to the turning of pattern ratchet wheel to, that they underride arm 11 at the very moments of jar to the machine caused by the above stated shifts in operation. Therefore at these times arm 12 is momentarily held up against the end of lever 2', holding rod 7b in its upper position and thus positively preventing latch g from being sprung out of its beveled notch. This insures continuous running of the machine at these critical times, and yet allows unrestricted operation of the latch stop motion at all other times, fulfilling its functions as required.

An adjusting screw 13 may be provided on arm 12 for greater accuracy.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent isz' 1. In a circular knitting machine, the

combination with the rotatable knitting head, of a driving shaft, mechanism adapted to rotate and oscillate the knitting head and to control and effect the shift from rotation to oscillation and vice versa, said mechanism being yieldingly connected with the knitting head to allow the driving connection therewith to be severed by resistance to rotation. of the knitting head, means to stop the driving shaft adapted to be actuated by said mechanism upon the severance of its driving connection with the knitting head, and a contrivance controlled by said mechanism to render the same inoperative to actuate the stop means during said shift.

2. In a circular knitting machine, the combination with the rotatable knitting head, of a driving shaft, mechanism adapted to rotate and oscillate the knitting head and to control and effect the shift from rotation to oscillation and vice versa, said mechanism being yieldingly connected with the knitting head to allow the driving connection therewith to be severed by resistance to rotation of the knitting head, means to stop the (:lriving shaft adapted to be actuated by said mechanism upon the severance means to sto the drivin shaft ada ted to l 2:

be actuated. by said mechanism upon the severance of the latters driving connection with the knitting head, means to control the shift from rotation to oscillation and vice versa, and a contrivance controlled by said control means'to render said mechanism inoperative to actuate the stop means during said shift.

4:. In a circular knitting machine, the

combination with-the rotatable knitting head, of a driving shaft, mechamsm actuated therefrom adapted to alternately rotate and oscillate the knitting head and yieldingly connected therewith to allow its drive ing connection thereto to be severed by resistance to rotation of the knitting head, means to stop the driving shaft adapted to be actuated by said mechanism upon the severance of the latters driving connection with the knitting head, means to control the shift from rotation to oscillation and vice versa, and a contrivance controlled by sald control means to render said driving connection unyielding during said shlft.

5. In a circular knitting machine, the

combination with the rotatable knitting head, of a driving shaft, stop mechanism for the driving shaft, a driven shaft, normally operative yielding driving connections between the driven shaft and the knitting head adapted to drive the knitting head and adapted to be rendered inoperative to drive by resistance to rotation of the knitting head, normally inoperative stopactuating means connected with said yielding driving connections and adapted to be rendered operative by the movement of said yielding driving connections into-inoperative position to drive, shiftingmechanism adapted to control the alternate rotation and oscillation of the driven shaft from the driving shaft, and a contrivance controlled by said shifting mechanism to render the stop-actuating means inoperative in the shift from rotation to oscillation and vice versa.

6. In a circular knitting machine, the combination with the rotatable knitting head, of a driving shaft, stop-mechanism for the driving shaft, a driven shaft, normally operative yielding driving connections between the driven shaft and the knitting head adapted to drive the knitting head and adapted to be rendered inoperative to drive by resistance to rotation of the knitting head, normally inoperative stop-actuating means connected with said yielding driving connections and adapted to be rendered operative by the movement of said yielding driving connections into inoperative posi tion to drive, shifting mechanism adapted to control the alternate rotation and oscillation of the driven shaft from the driving shaft, and a contrivance controlled by said shifting mechanism to lock the driving connections to the knitting head in the shift from rotation to oscillation and vice versa.

7. In a circular knitting machine, the combination with a rotatable knitting head, of a rotatable member in driving engagement with the knitting head, a driven shaft on the axis of the rotatable member, a driving shaft, rotary and oscillatory driving connections between the two shafts, mechanism tostop the rotation of the driving shaft, normally operative driving connections between the driven shaft and said rotatable member adapted to be rendered inoperative to drive by resistance to rotation of the knitting head and said rotatable member, normally inoperative means carried by the driven shaft and adapted to actuate the stop mechanism and to be operated by the yielding driving connections when the latter are rendered inoperative to drive, means to control. the shift from rotation to oscillation and vice versa, and a contrivance'actuated by said control means in said shift to prevent the stop mechanism from being so operated.

S. In a circular lmitting machine, the

combination with a rotatable knitting head, of a rotatable member in driving engagement with the knitting head, a driven shaft on theaxis of the rotatable member, a driving shaft, rotary and oscillatory driving connections between the two shafts, mechanism to stop the rotation of the driving shaft, normally operative driving connections between the driven shaft and said rotatable member adapted to be rendered inoperative to drive by resistance to rotation of the knitting head and said rotatable mem ber, normally inoperative means carried by the driven shaft and adapted to actuate the stop mechanism and to be operated by the 'yielding driving connections when the latter are rendered inoperative to drive, means to control the shift from rotation to oscillation and vice versa, and a contrivance actuated by said control means in said shift to maintain said driving connections operative notwithstanding resistance to rotation of the knitting head.

9. In a circular knitting machine, the combination with a rotatable knitting head, of a driving shaft, a driven shaft, rotary and oscillatory driving connections between the two shafts, mechanism to stop the rotation of the driving shaft, a rod extending axially within the driven shaft, connections between the rod and the stop mechanism, normally inoperative yielding driving connections between the driven shaft and the rotatable knitting head adapted to be retracted and rendered inoperative by resistance to rotation of the knitting head and effect a longitudinal movement of said rod, means to control the shift from rotation to oscillation and vice versa, and a contrivance actuated by said control means in said shift to lock the rod from so moving.

10. In a circular knitting machine, the combination with a rotatable knitting head, of a driving shaft, a driven shaft, rotary and oscillatory driving connections between the two shafts, mechanism to stop the rotation of the driving shaft, a rod extending axially within the driven shaft, connections between the rod and the stop mechanism, normally inoperative yielding driving connections between the driven shaft and the rotatable knitting head adapted to be retracted and rendered inoperative by resistance to rotation of the knitting head and effect a longitudinal movement of said rod, means to control the shift from rotation to oscillation and vice versa, and a contrivance actuated by said control means in said shift to hold the rod in position to lock said driving connections from retraction.

11. In a circular knitting machine, the combination with a rotatable knitting head, of a driving shaft, a driven shaft, rotary and oscillatory driving connections between the two shafts, mechanism to stop the r0tation of-the driving shaft, a rod extending axially Within the driven shaft, connections between. the rod and the stop mechanism, normally inoperative yielding driving connections between the driven shaft and the rotatable knitting head adapted to be retracted and rendered inoperative by resistance to rotation of the knitting head and effect a longitudinal movement of said rod, means, including a cam shaft, to control the shift from rotation to oscillation and vice versa, a cam on said shaft, and a normally inoperative hell-crank lever, one arm of which is in line of travel of said cam and the other arm. of which is adapted to hold the rod in position to lock the driving conneetions from retraction and arranged to be operated. during said shift. i

In testimony of which invention,I have hereunto set my hand, at Philadelphia, on this 15th day of April, 1915. e

HAROLD 12;. noUsEMAN,

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents Washington. D. C." 

